9.3 Applying for Initial Funding

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(9) Eligibility

Policy Title:

Applying for Initial Funding

Policy Number:

9.3

Previous Policy Number(s):

N/A

Effective Date:

August 2024

Manual Transmittal:

2024-07

Codes/References

Title IV-E of the Social Security Act Section 472

Requirements

The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) will:

  1. Submit the title IV-E/Foster Care Eligibility Application via Georgia SHINES to the Revenue Maximization (RevMax) Unit within five business days of a child’s entry into foster care.

  2. Determine the funding source, including eligibility for title IV-E, each time a child enters foster care via court order or Voluntary Placement Agreement (VPA).

  3. Determine if the child is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

  4. Where appropriate, refer parents of children in foster care to the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) in accordance with policy 9.12 Eligibility: Child Support.

Procedures

Social Services Case Manager

  1. Complete the following pages in Georgia SHINES:

    1. Person List

    2. Citizenship and Identity

    3. Placement List

    4. Legal Status

    5. Custody

    6. Income and Expenditures Documentation Checklist

    7. Application and Background

  2. Verify the child’s citizenship and immigration status in accordance with policy 9.6 Eligibility: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Relatedness Criteria.

  3. Include criteria when parents may qualify for referral to child support in accordance with policy 9.12 Eligibility: Child Support.

  4. Submit the title IV-E/Foster Care Eligibility Application via Georgia SHINES within five business days of the child entering foster care.

  5. Review court orders for accuracy and appropriate court order language and upload all court orders associated with the child’s removal into Georgia SHINES, if not uploaded by the Case Plan Reporting System (CPRS) (see policy 9.4 Eligibility: Removal from the Home and 9.5 Eligibility: Reasonable Efforts).

  6. Document a legal action, with appropriate court order language selected, into Georgia SHINES, when applicable.

  7. If the child is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) when they enter care:

    1. Enter SSI eligibility and monthly amount in Georgia SHINES as income to the child;

    2. Notify Rev Max via the Notification of Change (NOC) in Georgia SHINES.

    3. Contact the Social Security Administration to change the payee to DFCS.

  8. Determine, in consultation with the Complex Needs Adult Transition Unit (CNAT), when to apply for SSI on behalf of a child in care who has a diagnosed mental, physical or emotional condition which may qualify them to receive SSI.

    1. Submit the SSI application within 30 calendar days of the decision that an SSI application should be submitted on behalf of the child.

    2. Provide the SSA with copies of medical information, psychological assessments, educational evaluations, etc., needed to make the eligibility determination.

    3. Upload SSI approval/denial letters in External Documentation of Georgia SHINES.

    4. Enter SSI eligibility and monthly amount in Georgia SHINES as income to the child, if the SSI application is approved.

    5. Notify RevMax of the approval of SSI via the Notification of Change (NOC) in Georgia SHINES.

    6. Consult with the CNAT Unit when any difficulties arise in applying for SSI, becoming a child’s payee or SSI application denials.

      If receiving title IV-E FCMPs a child may not be eligible for SSI. Confer with CNAT.

RMS

  1. Review the title IV-E/Foster Care Eligibility Application in Georgia SHINES.

  2. Contact the SSCM or designated staff by telephone or email if there are any questions with the application.

  3. Verify the child meets all AFDC Relatedness criteria (see policy 9.6 Eligibility: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Relatedness Criteria).

  4. Review court orders to verify the child entered care as a result of one of the following:

    1. A court order with a judicial determination that it is contrary to the welfare of the child to remain in the home or that placement is in the best interest of the child.

    2. A VPA (see policy 9.4 Eligibility: Removal from the Home and policy 17.12 Legal: Voluntary Surrender of Parental Rights).

  5. Verify that a reasonable efforts judicial determination was made within 60 days of the removal and includes the agency specific details of those efforts (see policy 9.5 Eligibility: Reasonable Efforts).

  6. Approve the IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Summary page and document the determination details in Georgia SHINES, if the child is IV-E FC eligible.

  7. Verify and validate the Georgia SHINES determination of IV-E ineligibility.

    Whenever a child is not eligible for IV-E FC, the funding source is state funds.

  8. Communicate the initial decision for Medical Assistance and IV-E via the Eligibility Summary page in Georgia SHINES with documentation of the decision in the narrative of the Contact Detail.

Social Services Supervisor

  1. Review the case record in Georgia SHINES to ensure:

    1. Submission of the title IV-E/Foster Care Eligibility Application.

    2. Receipt and uploading of court orders.

  2. Provide guidance to the SSCM regarding changing the payee, if the child is receiving SSI when they enter care; or consult with the CNAT Unit to determine the need to apply for SSI, when applicable.

  3. Conduct a staffing with the SSCM on any issues or concerns regarding the title IV-E/Foster Care Eligibility Application process (see policy 19.6 Case Management: Supervisor Staffing).

Practice Guidance

Funding for Georgia’s Foster Care Program is available from federal and state sources including title IV-E Foster Care, title IV-B Foster Care, SSI, Medicaid and state funds. The funding determination is processed in Georgia SHINES. Rev Max uploads funding determination and redeterminations in SHINES. Whenever possible, it is advantageous for the state to maximize federal financial participation. This allows state funds to be conserved and used for other services to benefit families.

Title IV-E Foster Care

A federal funding source which provides reimbursement for costs associated with the care and maintenance of children in placement and for administrative costs related to the state’s Foster Care Program (e.g., case management, staff training, etc.). Children classified as IV-E eligible must have some relation to the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program (see policy 9.6 Eligibility: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Relatedness Criteria) in addition to meeting other criteria. Title IV-E is unrelated to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Title IV-B

A federal child welfare block grant that provides funds to states for foster care expenses. A child who is eligible for title IV-B has been determined ineligible for title IV-E Foster Care. The title IV-B grant is capped. Once these limited federal funds are spent, foster care expenses are paid primarily with state funds. Youth who has been title IV-E eligible in foster care, who reach the age of 18 and receives extended foster care are re-classified to state funded beginning the first day of the month following the month of their 18th birthday.

Supplemental Security Income

A federal payment program for disabled individuals administered by the SSA. Monthly payments are made directly to the recipient from the federal government. However, when a child is in DFCS custody, DFCS becomes the payee for the child’s SSI. SSI payments follow the child; and therefore, are a benefit to children while in care as well as when they achieve permanency. While in care the SSI benefits help to offset the cost of caring for the child. Go to ssa.gov/applyfordisability/child.htm for more information on the SSI application process.

IV-E vs. SSI

For a child receiving SSI, the RMS determines if it is more advantageous for the child in foster care to continue receiving SSI benefits or have their costs paid from title IV-E Foster Care.

  1. Using the child’s foster care maintenance payments (FCMP) as the basis for making the decision:

    1. Make the child title IV-E reimbursable (charge FCMP costs to IV-E foster care), if the monthly FCMP is more than the amount of the SSI funds received by the child.

    2. Continue the SSI and classify the child as title IV-E non-reimbursable, if the monthly FCMP is less than the amount of SSI funds received by the child.

  2. Applying programmatic reasons for making the decision, continue the SSI if:

    1. The child is expected to be in out-of-home care a short period of time.

    2. The child is approaching age 18 because SSI benefits do not terminate at age 18 as do title IV-E benefits.

    3. The child is in the adoption process.

The child’s receipt of IV-E FCMP and its effective date must be reported to the SSA. Per regulation, the SSA treats IV-E FCMP as “income” and reduces the child’s SSI payment dollar for dollar based on the IV-E FCMP. In all likelihood, the child’s SSI payment will be suspended. If the child continues to receive a reduced SSI payment, these funds may be used for other items/needs of the child. It must not be applied to the child’s title IV-E FCMP as IV-E costs have already been applied. If the child subsequently loses title IV-E eligibility, the SSA must be notified. The SSA may restore the child’s SSI if they remain eligible.

Forms and Tools

Social Security Administration (SSA)